Tearfund Canada
STAR RATINGCi's Star Rating is calculated based on the following independent metrics: |
✔+
FINANCIAL TRANSPARENCY
Audited financial statements for current and previous years available on the charity’s website.
B+
RESULTS REPORTING
Grade based on the charity's public reporting of the work it does and the results it achieves.
Good
DEMONSTRATED IMPACT
The demonstrated impact per dollar Ci calculates from available program information.
NEED FOR FUNDING
Charity's cash and investments (funding reserves) relative to how much it spends on programs in most recent year.
63%
CENTS TO THE CAUSE
For a dollar donated, after overhead costs of fundraising and admin/management (excluding surplus) 63 cents are available for programs.
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OVERVIEW
About Tearfund Canada:
Tearfund Canada is a 4-star charity that is financially transparent. It has an above average results reporting grade and its overhead costs are outside Ci’s reasonable range for overhead spending. Ci has given this charity a Good rating for demonstrated impact.
Founded in 1970, Tearfund Canada (TFC), formerly World Relief Canada, aims to reduce global poverty. The charity partners with local churches to deliver aid and training as part of its church-based approach. TFC is also a member of Canadian Foodgrains Bank (CFGB). CFGB is a partnership of 15 Christian organizations with the goal of ending global hunger. TFC states that 1 in 11 people (712 million) live in extreme poverty around the world.
A Charity Intelligence Top 100 Rated Charity.
TFC spent $6.7m on its programs in its fiscal year ending June 2024 (F2024). The charity runs seven main programs, listed below. In its audited financial statements, TFC breaks down its program spending into three categories: Development, Relief and Rehabilitation, and Education. It is unclear how its seven programs fit into these categories.
The Food Security program provides training for farmers to help them create better producing food sources. TFC states it trained 11,903 farmers in F2024. It also reports it made 105,813 people less hungry.
The Poverty Alleviation program creates savings groups and provides business training. Savings groups bring members together to save money and provide each other with loans and support. The charity reports it enrolled 9,042 people in 351 new savings groups in F2024.
The Church Mobilization program trains churches to help them reduce poverty in their communities. TFC reports it trained 391 church leaders in F2024. It also reports local African churches started 451 projects.
The Trauma Healing program helps women heal from sexual violence and abuse. TFC states it formed 709 trauma healing groups in F2024. It also trained 228 church and community leaders in trauma healing.
The Climate Adaptation program helps farmers deal with climate change. TFC reports that it planted 5,166,766 trees and started 387 tree nurseries in F2024.
The Emergency Relief program provides aid to those suffering due to natural disasters or conflict. TFC reports it helped 30,075 families in F2024.
The Partnering in Reconciliation program provides buffalo to Indigenous communities in Canada. A total of 18 buffalo calves were born in F2024.
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Results and Impact
Tearfund Canada surveyed 881 people in its Poverty Alleviation program in November 2023. Results from before versus after joining a savings group include:
- A 60% increase in saving for the future.
- A 44% increase in helping people outside of the church.
- An 85% increase in starting businesses.
Tearfund Canada surveyed 600 farmers in its Food Security program in July 2023. TFC reports 82% experienced an increase in crop yields of double or more after receiving training.
State of Life, an independent analyst, studied the social value of TFC’s Church Mobilization program in 2022. From this study, TFC states that every $1 invested in its Church Mobilization program creates a social value of $211 in increased well-being.
While Ci highlights these key results, they may not completely represent Tearfund Canada's results and impact.
Charity Intelligence has given TFC a Good impact rating based on demonstrated impact per dollar spent.
Impact Rating: Good

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Finances
Tearfund Canada’s audited financial statements follow activity-based costing, a best practice. This means its expenses are clearly defined between program, administrative, and fundraising categories.
In F2024 TFC received $3.0m in donations. It also received $5.0m in government funding. Government funding is 62% of total revenue.
Administrative costs are 4% of revenues (excluding investment income). Fundraising costs are 33% of donations. This results in total overhead spending of 37%. For every dollar donated, 63 cents are available to go to the cause. This falls outside Ci’s reasonable range for overhead spending.
In F2024 TFC spent $6.7m on its programs, which is 83% of its revenue. In F2024 it had a surplus of $27k.
Tearfund Canada has $2.3m in reserve funds (cash and investments). The reserves can cover 35%, or four months of program costs.
This charity report is an update that has been sent for review to Tearfund Canada. Changes and edits may be forthcoming.
Updated on May 28, 2025, by Grady Simpson.
Financial Review
Fiscal year ending June
|
2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
---|---|---|---|
Administrative costs as % of revenues | 4.3% | 4.0% | 4.6% |
Fundraising costs as % of donations | 32.6% | 26.1% | 22.1% |
Total overhead spending | 36.9% | 30.1% | 26.6% |
Program cost coverage (%) | 34.5% | 27.3% | 28.2% |
Summary Financial StatementsAll figures in $000s |
2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
---|---|---|---|
Donations | 3,002 | 3,264 | 3,118 |
Government funding | 5,036 | 5,946 | 4,870 |
Investment income | 27 | 30 | 11 |
Total revenues | 8,064 | 9,240 | 8,000 |
Program costs - International | 6,615 | 8,110 | 8,221 |
Program costs - Canada | 96 | 38 | 105 |
Administrative costs | 347 | 372 | 364 |
Fundraising costs | 979 | 850 | 687 |
Total spending | 8,037 | 9,371 | 9,377 |
Cash flow from operations | 27 | (130) | (1,378) |
Capital spending | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Funding reserves | 2,313 | 2,228 | 2,351 |
Note: Deferred donations: TFC uses deferred accounting. To show donors information on a consistent basis, Ci adjusted for these deferred donations. This affected revenue by $79k in F2024, ($101k) in F2023, and $27k in F2022. Deferred government funding: Ci adjusted for deferred government funding. This affected revenues by ($346k) in F2023 and ($978k) in F2022.
Salary Information
$350k + |
0 |
$300k - $350k |
0 |
$250k - $300k |
0 |
$200k - $250k |
0 |
$160k - $200k |
1 |
$120k - $160k |
2 |
$80k - $120k |
6 |
$40k - $80k |
1 |
< $40k |
0 |
Information from most recent CRA Charities Directorate filings for F2024
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Comments & Contact
Comments added by the Charity:
Charity Contact
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